Happy happy joy joy: Hulu scores cult 'toon classics
The next-day-TV site refreshes its content deal with Viacom, which will keep "Daily Show" and "Colbert Report" streaming and add cult faves like "Ren & Stimpy" and "Invader Zim."
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Streaming-TV site Hulu is keeping some of its most popular programs in the fold and adding cult favorites through a renewed licensing deal with Viacom, parent to networks like MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon.
Extending its partnership with Viacom, Hulu will continue to stream popular programs like "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," "The Colbert Report" and "SpongeBob SquarePants," and it will add series that haven't been available on the site before, like cartoons "Invader Zim" and "The Ren & Stimpy Show," Hulu said in a blog post Tuesday.
Hulu -- which is owned by Disney, parent of ABC; Comcast, parent of NBC; and 21st Century Fox, parent of Fox -- has been flying relatively under the radar this year compared with its bigger streaming rival Netflix, after last year was marked by uncertainty about the site's ownership and leadership. With a permanent CEO in place and its owners' decision to infuse Hulu with $750 million rather than sell it, the company has focused this year on beefing up its library of both licensed and originals shows and tweaking what you can watch on various devices.
Viacom, however, has been busy in the streaming world. The company undertook a major overhaul of the apps for all its networks to include more video viewing, and it has been a forerunner in licensing its networks for experimental streaming services that Sony and Verizon are working to launch.
As part of the extended Viacom deal, Hulu will have shows from Comedy Central like "Drunk History" and "Inside Amy Schumer" and from MTV like "Catfish," "16 & Pregnant" and "The Jersey Shore." The site is adding scripted series including Comedy Central's "Workaholics," MTV's "Faking It" and TVLand's "Hot in Cleveland." It will also expand Latino programming for kids by adding Nickelodeon titles like "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" in Spanish.
Hulu said it will add all episodes over the next few weeks.